A California doctor was jailed for 22 months in a power wheelchair/medical equipment scam. On the basis of medically unnecessary prescriptions written by the physician, Medicare was billed nearly a half-million dollars in false claims by equipment companies.

A Las Vegas hospice and related organizations were charged with submitting false and unnecessary claims to Medicare. The hospice allegedly discouraged staff members from documenting patient improvements so Medicare/Medicaid would pay.

An Atlanta ob-gyn was convicted and is to repay Medicaid $300,000 in a fraudulent billing scheme. The doctor billed for the services of an unlicensed medical school graduate, double-billed and overbilled and failed to provide documentation.

A New York medical office reached a settlement over alleged deceptive business practices linked to patient costs. The settlement requires that patients be accurately informed about out-of-pocket costs and insurance coverage. Authorities said that the business led some consumers to believe that a significant percentage of its charges -- sometimes up to 80 percent -- would be covered by their health plans' out-of-network benefit. But some plans were routinely denying the claims submitted by the practice, leaving some patients facing thousands of dollars in unexpected costs for a single visit.

A New York clinic's medical director is the ninth to plead guilty in a $13 million dollar Medicare/Medicaid false billing scam. The Brooklyn clinic billed for physician services rendered by an unsupervised assistant.

Three Brooklyn pharmacies and seven people were indicted in New York in a $5 million dollar Medicaid fraud case. The pharmacies allegedly used an excluded worker, billed for prescriptions never dispensed and hid the identity of the true owner.

A psychiatrist in Pennsylvania was charged with false billing; he allegedly claimed to have provided face-to-face patient therapy at times when he was out

A Miami home health agency owner pleaded guilty in multiple Medicare fraud schemes at three agencies. He is to forfeit more than $9 million dollar in a case that included services billed but not provided and payment of kickbacks.

Husband-wife clinic owners in Orlando, Florida, were charged in a $3 million Medicare fraud scheme. The two stand accused of billing for unneeded or never provided services and chemotherapy prescription fraud.

A Miami home health provider admitted he took part in a multimillion-dollar Medicare scam that included paying kickbacks for patient referrals and billing for unneeded services.

Four people in Florida were charged in a $196,000 Medicaid scheme; authorities said the four paid kickbacks to entice program beneficiaries to receive psychosocial rehabilitative services and later submitted false claims for services that were not rendered.

A doctor and nurse were put behind bars for 10 years and 4 years, respectively, in a $3 million Medicare home health care fraud conspiracy in Texas.

A Dallas woman, who had no medical license of any sort, admitted stealing the identity of a registered nurse and using it to get patient-care positions at eight hospices. Claims of about $2 million were submitted to Medicare for services purportedly rendered by the woman while she impersonated the nurse.

From November

A medical center in Alabama settled OIG allegations that the hospital failed to properly screen an emergency room patient who later died.

A Texas nursing facilities firm is to pay more than $357,000 to settle OIG allegations that it employed individuals excluded as providers from federal healthcare programs.

A skilled nursing facility in Utah has settled OIG allegations that it employed an excluded nursing assistant and that the employee provided services for which the facility billed Medicare.

A New Jersey physician is to pay nearly $105,000 to resolve OIG allegations that he received kickbacks in exchange for referrals to an MRI imaging center.

Columbia University in New York admitted submitting inaccurate cost reports and mischarging federal grants; in a civil settlement, the school has agreed to repay $9.9 million. Authorities assert that Columbia received millions in federal HIV/AIDS research grants for work that was not performed.

Companies doing business as Spine and Bone Healing Technologies and Biomet Incorporated are to pay more than $6 million to settle allegations that they paid kickbacks to promote the use of their bone growth stimulators.

An already-jailed doctor was given more prison time and must repay $9.5 million in what was described as a "cash-only clinic" drug scam in Dallas that recruited so-called "patients" from homeless shelters. The physician is serving 12 years in two cases. Three others were also sentenced to substantial prison time.

Ten people were indicted on 105 counts in a Virginia Medicaid scheme linked to alleged false claims for mental health services.

A Michigan home health agency has agreed to pay $57,000 and set up a compliance program to settle allegations that it altered physician signature dates and other information on physician orders for home health care services.

A Florida home health provider was imprisoned for nearly 7 years in a $74 million Medicare fraud scheme that included kickbacks for patient referrals and submission of false bills to Medicare for bogus services.

A former nursing director in Florida was jailed for nearly five years and must repay more than $1.8 million for participating in a $7 million Medicare scheme that included falsified records, kickbacks and bribes, services not rendered and false claims.

Five from South Florida entered guilty pleas in a $6.2 million home health scam that included kickbacks and bogus services.

A Florida man employed as a medical health technician was charged with punching a disabled adult in the face.

A mother and daughter in Arkansas were charged with Medicaid fraud and exploiting residents of a facility for the developmentally disabled. The charges included false billing and making fraudulent withdrawals from patients' trust accounts.

A Kansas chiropractor was imprisoned for five years and must repay more than $1.8 million in a false claims case.

A New York chiropractor is to pay more than $375,000 dollars to resolve allegations of upcoding, false certifications and unsubstantiated claims.

2 charged with scamming Georgia Medicaid; authorities said alleged schemers obtained Medicaid identification numbers through after-school programs and used those numbers to bill nearly $1 million for services that were never provided.

Two from Georgia were charged "with preying on senior citizens to steal millions of dollars" from Medicare and Medicaid. Authorities allege that up to 60 patients a day received bogus services that were later falsely billed.

A Michigan doctor admitted that he oversaw submission of fraudulent physician home-visit claims in a $19 million Medicare scam that included phony records, bogus referrals, kickbacks and false claims.

A Detroit-area physical therapy assistant was imprisoned for more than four years for taking part in a nearly $15 million home health scam. The case included false billing and handing out prescriptions for unneeded painkillers to lure Medicare patients into the scheme.

Two home health agency owners in the Detroit area admitted billing nearly $1 million for services not rendered or not needed and paying for referrals.

A former health clinics CFO in Alabama was indicted in a scheme to bilk the clinics and the federal government out of millions of dollars. The woman was charged with helping to divert $11 million in grant money and clinic assets. According to the indictment, her cut was $1.7 million.

Four Medicare beneficiaries and two Pennsylvania ambulance company workers were charged in a $4 million fraud case. The beneficiaries, authorities said, took kickbacks -- in the form of cash, checks, or other valuable items -- to ride in ambulances, allow the company to bill for transport services that were never provided, or to recruit other patients for the same purpose.

A former rehabilitation therapy provider in Florida admitted submitting more than $2.5 million in false Medicare claims for services that were not legitimately prescribed or provided. Falsified and forged medical records were used to give the appearance that therapy services were rendered to Medicare beneficiaries when they were not.

Two Kentucky cardiologists are to pay $380,000 to settle allegations that they entered into sham management agreements with a hospital in exchange for referral of cardiology procedures and other healthcare services.

A Maryland doctor who prescribed unneeded drugs to his addict girlfriend and others was put behind bars.

A Maryland woman who had no medical license admitted posing as physician assistant, treating patients and writing prescriptions.

A Maryland man was jailed for 18 months after stealing more than $680,000 from an NIH research grant. He admitted embezzling funds in several ways. Full restitution was ordered.

A former Northwestern University cancer research physician is to pay $475,000 to settle allegations of grant fraud. The government said the settlement covers improper claims that the doctor submitted for reimbursement from the federal grants for professional and consulting services, food, hotels, travel, conference registration fees, and other expenses that benefited him, his friends and his family. The physician did not admit liability, nor did the government concede that its claims were not well-founded.

From October

New York-based pharmacy CareMed is to pay the United States $9.5 million to settle civil fraud allegations. Authorities said that CareMed admitted false statements related to authorization for drug coverage. The specialty pharmacy also is to repay New York Medicaid more than $846,000 dollars to settle allegations of false claims.

Caremark is to pay $6 million to resolve claims that it failed to reimburse Medicaid for prescription drug costs paid on behalf of beneficiaries who were also eligible for drug benefits under Caremark-administered private health plans.

A Florida radiology billing firm that also had an office in Georgia is to pay nearly $2 million to settle allegations that it fraudulently changed diagnosis codes in order to get rejected claims paid on behalf of radiologists.

A Texas psychiatrist faces 52 healthcare fraud counts in an alleged $1.75 million Medicare/Medicaid scheme. Authorities say he upcoded claims and billed for services he never rendered.

A Texas chiropractor admitted submitting Medicare and Medicaid claims for more than $700,000 for services not rendered. The chiropractor claimed that she rendered services in her office when, in fact, she was vacationing in Puerto Rico, and she paid a therapist, whose provider ID she used illegally, some of the money received.

A home health agency owner in Texas was jailed for five years for structuring $1.8 million in cash withdrawals to hide a kickbacks-for-referrals scam.

A New Mexico hospital is to pay nearly $1 million to settle OIG allegations that it filed claims for work done by unqualified therapists.

UCLA is to pay more than $470,000 to settle OIG allegations that it employed an excluded individual.

A Connecticut laboratory is to pay more than $145,000 to settle OIG allegations that it submitted fraudulent Medicare claims for high complexity urine drug tests exceeding the number of units allowed by Medicare by using a code to bypass computer programming that would have otherwise rejected such claims.

An adult daycare operator and two home health firm owners in Michigan were convicted in a $29 million Medicare fraud conspiracy. The three fabricated patient records, paid or received kickbacks and submitted false claims.

The former owner of two Detroit-area home health agencies admitted participating in a $22 million Medicare fraud scheme that included kickbacks, unneeded or never-provided services and false billing. The man also admitted that he fabricated patient files to give the false appearance that the services were medically necessary and had been provided.

A Detroit-area physician and three others were charged in a $7 million home health referrals scam; kickbacks, false records and false billing are alleged.

A Michigan nonprofit has agreed to start a compliance program to settle false claims allegations that it billed Medicaid for the services of a practitioner with a lapsed license. The organization acknowledged that it should have known the services were not provided as claimed.

A Detroit-area physician who made fraudulent referrals for home health care in a $1.3 million Medicare fraud scheme pleaded guilty.

A hidden camera in a New York nursing home patient's room revealed an alleged pattern of neglect, authorities said; two aides were charged in the case.

A woman who posed as an Arkansas school nurse was given a four-year prison term and must repay more than $175,000.

A New Jersey man was charged with using Medicare Part D benefits to obtain human growth hormones and anabolic steroids that he allegedly sold via the Internet. Authorities said the defendant typically sold doses of human growth hormone for about $450 to any interested buyer. They also said he was not a licensed physician, nor did he have any medical training.

A compounding pharmacist in New Jersey admitted paying kickbacks for referrals for prescription pain cream and submitting false claims.

A New York psychiatrist was charged with selling prescriptions for controlled substances to undercover investigators. Authorities said that two families had complained that the psychiatrist allegedly overprescribed addictive prescriptions to members of their families.

A New York cardiologist was jailed for three years and must repay $2 million after submitting false claims for never-performed or medically unneeded services. Authorities said the doctor gave drug-seeking patients controlled substances so they would agree to medically unnecessary tests.

A New York doctor admitted illegally distributing the highly addictive painkiller oxycodone; he could get a 20-year term.

Two Floridians -- managing members of a "shell" company -- admitted taking part in a multimillion-dollar healthcare clinics fraud that included money-laundering. Some clinic services purportedly were provided to Medicare beneficiaries who had died before the dates of service.

A former equipment company owner in Miami was charged in a $24 million Medicare scam; he allegedly billed for services that were medically unnecessary or never provided.

Three patient recruiters convicted for their roles in a $20 million dollar Miami home health care scheme must pay more than $2.4 million in restitution and are put behind bars.

In another Miami case, this one involving home health care, a company owner was charged in an $8 million scheme; authorities allege that kickbacks were paid for referrals and that Medicare was fraudulently billed.

The former owner of a Los Angeles-area medical equipment company was jailed for 30 months and must pay more than $1.4 million dollars after fraudulently providing Medicare beneficiaries power wheelchairs that they did not need.

Two medical clinic managers in California were charged in a $4.5 million Medicare scheme that authorities said included kickbacks, bogus services and false billing.

The owner of a wheelchair company in Washington state was convicted of delivering used wheelchairs and billing Medicaid as if they were new. Authorities allege that he collected more than $600,000 in fraudulent payments.

A Pennsylvania podiatrist, charged with health care fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, allegedly billed Medicare $480,000 for an array of bogus services, including billing for patient visits she claimed occurred while she was out of the country.

A Philadelphia woman was accused of billing Medicaid $72,000 for care from an attendant after his date of death. Authorities assert that she forged the attendant's name on timesheets and checks after he died.

A Chicago-area dermatologist was convicted of cheating Medicare and private insurers of $2.6 million. The doctor falsely diagnosed patients and billed public and private insurers for treatments that were ineffective and falsely documented.

An Illinois woman admitted billing Medicaid for personal-aide services that she did not provide.

A nurse-CEO in Iowa was jailed in a million-dollar fraudulent billing scheme linked to a counseling center.

A Missouri personal aide was jailed and must pay restitution in a phony-billing scam. The woman billed Medicaid for hours during which she did not take care of her Medicaid-beneficiary sister. The two then split the proceeds of the fraud.

A medical diagnostic service provider in Maryland was charged with submitting $7.5 million in false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for interpretation reports that were not done by licensed doctors.

Two Maryland pharmacy workers pleaded guilty in a $2.5 million prescription-refill scheme. When a prescription was eligible for refill, a false claim was electronically submitted to a health care benefit program, often without the customer's knowledge. The phony refill was then put back on pharmacy shelves

A vice president and chief financial officer of Compass Healthcare, a durable medical equipment business headquartered in St. Louis, admitted filing fraudulent claims with Medicare, Blue Cross & Blue Shield and other insurers. The fraud included upcoding and submitting false diagnoses.

Zimmer-Deptula, Inc. (ZDI), a former Florida-based distributor for Zimmer, Inc., entered into a $123,000 settlement agreement with OIG to resolve allegations that two ZDI contractors paid third parties to recommend Zimmer products to doctors. OIG contends that ZDI paid kickbacks to the third parties to induce them to recommend and arrange for the purchase of Zimmer products, which were paid for by Federal health care programs.

Life Care Services LLC, a manager of skilled nursing facilities in Des Moines, Iowa, and CoreCare V LLP, a skilled nursing facility in Fullerton, California, are to pay $3.75 million to settle allegations of false claims for rehabilitation therapy.

The United States pursued claims against a neurosurgeon, a spinal implant company and physician-owned distributorships. The government contends that physicians were paid to induce them to use certain spinal implants during surgery.

A Florida woman was jailed for more than six years and must repay more than $6.5 million in a home health care scam that included kickbacks and unneeded services.

In another Florida case, a home healthcare provider was jailed for nearly six years and must repay Medicare $6.2 million. The scam included bogus services, kickbacks and bribes and falsified patient records.

Three people stand accused in a Florida Medicaid scam. Authorities said the three billed for and were paid more than $1 million for never-provided Targeted Case Management Services, which link beneficiaries who have serious mental health disorders to community-based assistance.

A Massachusetts medical transporter was sent to jail, and she and her firm are to pay more than $722,000 for billing Medicaid for services that were never provided. Included in the scam was billing for rides under the names of people who had died.

A Pennsylvania doctor and three others were charged with healthcare fraud and illegal distribution of controlled substances. Commenting on the case, OIG's Nick DiGiulio, said: "We rely on doctors to be part of the prescription drug abuse solution, not part of the problem. Abuse of prescription drugs now kills more people than illegal drug abuse and costs taxpayers many millions of dollars."

A New York nursing home is to pay $2.2 million to settle allegations that it submitted more than 62,000 fraudulent Medicare claims.

A New York nurse who claimed to be providing Medicaid services but instead was on a Caribbean cruise was sentenced to probation and must repay more than $18,000.

A New York nurse was charged with covering up the morphine overdose of wheelchair-bound patient. The nurse allegedly gave the patient morphine rather than a prescribed muscle relaxant and falsified records to hide her error, authorities said.

A nursing home medication technician in New York admitted stealing 650 narcotics prescriptions from elderly patients for her own use. She replaced the stolen prescriptions with similar-looking pills.

A physician in New Jersey was charged with billing insurers more than $150,000 for nerve conduction tests he never administered.

A woman and her son were charged in a $100,000 scheme to defraud the United States and an Alabama center that received federal grants. Authorities say the scam proceeds were used to buy tires, phones and adult website memberships.

An Alabama woman was jailed and must repay Medicaid more than $54,000 for taking Tennessee healthcare benefits when she wasn't eligible for them.

A Mississippian was jailed for 20 years and will pay more than $157,000 for financially exploiting a vulnerable elderly person. The man persuaded the woman to give him power of attorney, which he used to raid her bank account.

In North Carolina, the owner of a mental health business mental health business, admitted fraudulently using Medicaid IDs to submit false claims in a $1 million scam.

A Texas medical equipment provider was jailed for six years and must repay $1.2 million in a Medicare/Medicaid fraud case. The scheme included medical devices never delivered, upcoding, phony prescriptions and false billing.

In another Texas case, the owner of a medical equipment firm was imprisoned for eight years and must repay $1.2 million for false claims and aggravated identity theft.

From August

A Tennessee senior-living chain is to pay more than $350,000 to settle OIG allegations that it employed three people who had been excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs.

A Florida physician is to pay more than $330,000 to settle OIG allegations that he filed false or fraudulent Medicare drug test claims.

Taro Pharmaceuticals USA is to pay $19.5 million to settle allegations that it fraudulently reported inflated drug prices to Medicaid, which caused the program to pay out more than it should have.

McKesson Corporation is to pay $18 million to resolve allegations that it violated its vaccines shipping contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The government contends that McKesson improperly set temperature monitors for the vaccines.

Astellas Pharma paid $7.3 million to resolve false claims allegations linked to the marketing of an antifungal agent.

Optim Healthcare, based in Savannah, Ga., is to pay $4 million to settle allegations that it filed false claims linked to surgical and other procedures.

New York City is to pay more than $1 million to settle allegations that it caused managed care organizations to cover people who were ineligible for Medicaid.

A New York heart center is to pay $1.3 million to resolve allegations that it compensated physicians for improper referrals.

Minneapolis-based Vascular Solutions Inc. is to pay $520,000 to settle claims that it marketed and billed for a device to seal perforator veins without FDA approval and despite the failure of its own clinical trial.

Three Canadian telemarketers were charged in Illinois in a $1 million Medicare hoax that allegedly sought to deceive 5,000 elderly Americans and steal their money.

A former nursing director in Miami admitted his role in a $7 million home healthcare scam involving services billed to Medicare. Patient documentation was falsified; kickbacks and bribes were paid, and bills were submitted for services that were not needed or not provided.

Two brothers in Florida each were jailed nearly six years in a "cash-back" food stamp scam; restitution of $4M was ordered.

A Florida woman was charged with billing Medicaid more than $8,000 for services alleged to be fraudulent, duplicative or unauthorized.

A Missouri home care provider was jailed for more than four years, and the woman and her company must pay a total of $600,000 in a healthcare and bank fraud case. The provider falsified records, including exaggerating patients' conditions, to support Medicare fraud.

A California home health agency owner who was also a registered nurse, was jailed for nearly five years in a $5 million scam that paid kickbacks to doctors, recruiters and patients, billed Medicare for patients who were not eligible for home care services and billed for services provided by unlicensed workers or not at all.

A New York woman was charged with practicing nursing without a license and theft; she allegedly cared for nursing home patients for over a year, taking $90,000 in salary she was not qualified to receive.

A Georgia woman, who was enrolled in the Medicaid program to provide mental health services for children, was charged in a $355,000 Medicaid fraud case; false documents, forgery and false billing are alleged.

A Georgia woman was sent to prison for more than five years for healthcare fraud, tax-preparation fraud and false claims; she is to repay more than $372,000.

A Kansas woman was found guilty of misusing funds of her 93-year-old mother-in-law. The woman, as trustee, was responsible for her mother-in-law's expenses. But she bought a house, farm and truck with the money and left her mother in law's bills unpaid.

A Tennessean, on the run for 17 months, was arrested and charged again with drug fraud and "doctor shopping."

From July

OIG found in another review that the Fraud Prevention System identified millions of dollars in Medicare savings, but procedures could be strengthened.

OIG found in another review that the Fraud Prevention System identified millions of dollars in Medicare savings, but procedures could be strengthened.

The Idaho attorney general asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal of a lawsuit challenging Medicaid rates paid to providers.

An Indiana hospital settled OIG allegations that it failed to properly screen a patient who had an emergency condition.

An Iowa skilled nursing facility is to pay $500,000 to resolve allegations that it submitted improper claims to Medicare for therapy services that were not justified by residents' conditions and that it erroneously submitted inflated cost reports to Medicaid.

An Iowa medical center is to pay $40,000 to settle OIG allegations that it didn't provide an emergency room patient with appropriate screening and treatment.

Three Californians were jailed, one for 12 years, in a complex fraud scheme that cost Medicare $3.2 million. The scam included use of patient recruiters, kickbacks, bogus prescriptions for power wheelchairs, sham examinations and false claims.

In a California case, a man was imprisoned for more than 10 years and must repay Medicare nearly $1 million in a scam centered on an equipment company put in the name of a "straw" owner, identity theft and claims for bogus services.

A Detroit-area doctor admitted his role in a multimillion-dollar home health referrals scheme that included false certifications, kickbacks, unneeded prescriptions for controlled substances and false billing.

Four patient recruiters admitted their roles in a $20 million Medicare scheme linked to another defunct Florida home health care company.

A Florida man was jailed for four years in a multimillion-dollar therapy services false billing scam. The Medicare scheme included kickbacks, illegitimate services and the use of shell companies. More than $6.2 million dollars in restitution was ordered.

A brother and sister were charged in Louisiana in a Medicaid personal care services scam. On numerous occasions, authorities assert, the brother falsely billed Louisiana Medicaid for personal care services performed for his sister. Authorities contend that the services were never performed. It is further alleged that the sister signed off on service logs submitted by her brother for payment.

An Illinois husband and wife were charged with bilking Medicare out of $800,000 and paying kickbacks in an alleged scheme involving doctors' services that were billed but never provided.

A suspended nurse at a Connecticut care center stands accused of forgery and unlawfully practicing nursing.

A Connecticut physician was charged with illegally prescribing controlled substances, including to some patients he knew to be addicts or who had been arrested on charges of possessing and distributing controlled substances, authorities said.

A Connecticut dentist was charged with Medicaid billing fraud; in one case, he allegedly claimed to have provided services while he was hospitalized.

A dentist in Connecticut who had been excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs was charged with continuing to bill Medicaid and illegally receiving nearly $95,000.

A Georgian who falsely billed on behalf of therapists who no longer worked for him was sent to jail and must repay more than $582,000.

An Atlanta ob-gyn admitted billing Medicaid for services performed by an unlicensed, unsupervised medical school graduate.

A mental health counselor in Oklahoma was charged with Medicaid billing fraud; she allegedly billed for times she was gambling at a casino.

A Kansas chiropractor admitted a million-dollar-plus billing fraud that included aggravated identity theft and tax evasion. The chiropractor billed in doctors' names for procedures he was not allowed to perform.

A North Carolina doctor pleaded guilty in a false billing criminal case and is to pay $6.2 million dollars to settle civil fraud allegations. The physician admitted hiding $2.4 million from the Internal Revenue Service that was used to build an 8,000-square-foot home on a lake.

Two Maryland doctors - husband and wife - were charged in a $2.3 million healthcare fraud scheme; authorities assert that they billed for services not rendered.

A Maryland-licensed X-ray technician, later promoted to company vice president, entered a guilty plea in a $2.5 million fraud that victimized Medicare and other insurance carriers. The man admitted billing for tests interpreted by unlicensed personnel and for tests and services that had not been provided. The U.S. attorney praised OIG work on the case.

A Maryland woman admitted neglecting a disabled adult; the caregiver left the victim locked in a hot car while she shopped. Sentencing is scheduled for September.

The State University of New York - Buffalo has agreed to pay more than $115,000 to settle allegations that it violated Medicaid billing rules.

The owners of a Kentucky oncology practice are to pay $3.7 million to settle allegations of false billing. Authorities said that chemotherapy treatment was extended only to maximize reimbursement from government healthcare programs.

The United States joined a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that a Pennsylvania hospice submitted millions of dollars in false claims. Ineligible patients and fabricated records are alleged.

In Illinois, a hospice owner and three employees were charged with falsely elevating the level of patients' care to increase reimbursement from Medicare. Authorities allege that the case includes false claims, unneeded care, altered files and illegal bonuses.

Fraudulently overbilling Medicare for hyperbaric oxygen therapy lands a pair of Texans in jail, each for five years; together they must repay $1.5 million.

Eight people were charged in a Louisiana personal care services scheme that allegedly split illegal proceeds with Medicaid beneficiaries.

A Montana woman was jailed for 30 months and must repay nearly $300,000 in a "split-check" scam that defrauded a tribal grant program. The scheme, which defrauded the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, included approval of illegal payments, a portion of which were kicked back to program director.

The co-owner of a Georgia counseling service was jailed for seven years and must repay more than $622,000 after filing more than 3,000 false Medicaid claims. The state attorney general said the man "shamelessly used Medicaid funds to finance his extravagant lifestyle" while children were deprived of services they needed.

Allegedly billing for unauthorized and never-performed services led to charges against a Florida dentist. Authorities said the case included tips from patients and parents about suspicious billing. Authorities also allege that healthy teeth were pulled as a way to promote denture sales and increase reimbursement from Medicaid.

Authorities allege that the 2013 death of a New York nursing home patient is linked to the failure of a registered nurse to render life-saving care despite the stated desire of the patient and the family that it be given. The nurse was also charged with providing a false written statement about the incident.

A New Jersey couple, owners of a mobile diagnostic testing company, were charged with healthcare fraud conspiracy. Authorities allege that they electronically forged diagnostic reports and falsely billed Medicare and others.

A New Jersey physician whose medical license had been revoked is now charged with practicing without a license.

An Iowa doctor who surrendered his medical license was jailed for five years for illegally dispensing drugs resulting in death. He was also convicted of healthcare fraud.

A Maryland man admitted embezzling more than $570,000 dollars -- meant for drug research -- from an NIH grant; full repayment was ordered. He could get as much as 10 years in prison at sentencing in September.

A Houston ambulance firm owner was jailed more than eight years and must repay nearly $1 million dollars for bogus Medicare claims for transportation.

In Ohio, a couple - owners of an ambulette firm - were sent to prison for what was described as "brazen fraud" and must repay more than $800,000 after falsely billing Medicaid.

From May

A Milwaukee man was sentenced for Medicaid fraud. He filed time reports indicating that he had cared for his grandmother for five hours every day between December 22, 2012, and January 3, 2013, when, in fact, he was in the custody of the Milwaukee County sheriff. In all, he submitted six fraudulent time reports, claiming 394 hours of work.

A St. Louis home health provider, who had no healthcare education or experience and previously worked in cosmetology, pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud and bank fraud; she billed for services that were not provided.

A South Dakota woman was jailed for 14 months and must repay more than $109,000 in a theft conspiracy involving the Oglala Sioux tribe. The case included fake invoices, phony contract estimates and money diverted for personal use.

A physical therapist in Connecticut, charged in 54-count healthcare fraud indictment, allegedly referred patients for personal training but billed for physical therapy. She is also charged with tax fraud.

A former WellCare CEO was jailed for three years for Medicaid fraud; he and others fraudulently submitted inflated cost data in the company's annual reports to Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration to reduce WellCare HMOs' contractual repayment obligations for behavioral health care services.

A New York druggist was sent to jail for his role in a $16 million Medicaid prescription fraud that targeted vulnerable HIV patients; the pharmacist must forfeit $500,000.

Two providers in New York were charged with using sham firms to submit $13 million in fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment.

A physician in Texas was jailed for 37 months and must pay fines and restitution of more than $380,000 for healthcare fraud and mail fraud. The doctor billed for services he never provided, including for patients who died before the dates of service.

A Texan was convicted in a $3 million medical equipment scam that involved false billing for devices that were never delivered, phony prescriptions from a doctor who never saw the patients, upcoding, kickbacks and money laundering.

A Texas woman, who ran two medical equipment firms, was sent to prison for 11 years and must repay more than $850,000 in an extensive fraud conspiracy.

In another report, OIG recommended coordinated and improved oversight of the Small Business Innovation Program by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The United States intervened in lawsuit against Orbit Medical, based in Salt Lake City, and its former vice president, alleging altered and forged prescriptions for medical equipment, including power wheelchairs.

A West Virginia physician and his cardiology practice are to pay $1 million to settle allegations of improper compensation and false claims for referrals.

Two companies that operate physical therapy clinics in the Washington, D.C., area are to pay $2.78 million to resolve allegations of false claims to Medicare and TRICARE.

In a case of provider self-disclosure, a Pennsylvania health system is to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations that it leased space to physicians at below-market rates to illegally induce referrals of patients.

An Oklahoma medical center and its corporate parent are to pay $1.5 million to resolve claims that Medicaid was billed for unneeded sinus surgeries on children.

The owner of a tax preparation franchise and a behavioral health provider business admitted tax fraud, Medicaid fraud and money laundering. He has agreed to pay restitution, and he could be fined $850,000 and sentenced to as much as 28 years in prison.

Two Texas doctors are to pay $3.9 million in a civil case centered on alleged substandard tests and exams and the use of unlicensed staff.

A company owner in Texas was convicted of billing Medicare $1.48 million for supplies that were never provided; she was also convicted of aggravated identity theft. The Houston case included theft of doctor IDs, false records and billing for more than 29,000 feeding supply kits that were never ordered for delivery.

In a drug diversion case, a Michigan doctor was convicted of writing illegal prescriptions for controlled substances, conducting unneeded tests, false billing and money laundering. The drugs he prescribed were resold on the street or used by addicted patients. He also transferred more than $1.5 million in criminal proceeds to a bank account in Amman, Jordan.

A Detroit-area doctor admitted referring patients she never saw or treated to home health agencies in a $1.3 million Medicare scam. The doctor signed certifications that home health care was needed, and the agencies used the physician's false documents to support their claims to Medicare.

In another Detroit-area home health case, an agency office manager was imprisoned nearly four years in a $5.8 million Medicare fraud scheme. The scam included false claims, services not rendered, fake patient files and phony referrals.

A Virginia podiatrist was jailed and fined for lying to a Massachusetts grand jury about her role in falsifying patient medical records to induce Medicare to pay for claims for Orthofix bone growth stimulator medical devices that did not meet reimbursement guidelines.

A California woman who orchestrated a complex healthcare fraud was sentenced to more than to six years in prison and must repay nearly $10 million. The fraud involved billing Medicare for equipment and services that were medically unnecessary or never provided.

A Maryland woman was charged with treating Medicaid patients while posing a physician's assistant. Authorities said she used a stolen identity to get a job in a doctor's office, forged a physician's assistant diploma, treated about 200 patients, including infants, and wrote unauthorized prescriptions.

Three people were arrested in California. They were named in an indictment alleging $11 million in healthcare fraud, money laundering and tax fraud.

A California medical equipment supplier was convicted in a $1.5 million Medicare fraud scheme. The supplier stole the identities of doctors and beneficiaries and billed Medicare for never-prescribed, never-rendered services.

A husband and wife were charged with running a sham clinic in Florida to defraud Medicare. The alleged scam included unlicensed workers, aggravated identity theft, fraudulent prescriptions, services claimed but not provided, and false billing, authorities said.

A former Massachusetts personal care aide admitted falsifying timesheets and bilking Medicaid out of nearly $63,000. The man submitted false timesheets to MassHealth indicating that he cared for a patient at the same time he was driving a school bus. The case also includes an alleged agreement to split proceeds of the fraud with the Medicaid recipient, authorities said. The defendant was put on probation and ordered to pay full restitution.

A doctor who headed a Massachusetts substance abuse clinic admitted illegally prescribing an anti-addiction drug; he is to pay $19,700.

Three in New York were charged in pharmacy scheme, accused of preying on HIV patients and fraudulently billing Medicaid.

A former doctor in Iowa pleaded guilty to fraud and illegal distribution of a drug resulting in a death.

A Massachusetts dentist is to repay Medicaid $400,000 in a civil case; he allegedly billed improperly for nursing home services.

A Florida woman was sent to jail and must repay Medicaid $200,000 in a speech therapy scam.

An ex-office manager in Ohio was charged with manipulating the reimbursement process to get higher insurance payments. The suspect is believed to have caused more than $100,000 in excessive billings to Medicare, Medicaid and other healthcare benefit providers.

A Maryland ophthalmologist is to pay $1.4 million to settle allegations that he performed medically unnecessary laser procedures. He also agreed to a 20-year exclusion as a provider from federal health programs.

A former Department of Veterans Affairs psychiatrist was imprisoned for 18 months, must forfeit $1.2 million and pay restitution for falsely claiming to provide Medicare at-home services. He submitted about $4 million dollars in Medicare claims for home treatment of beneficiaries while holding a full-time, salaried position as a psychiatrist at the VA hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y.

A New Jersey doctor admitted submitting more than $13 million in false billing; he gave patients free food and spa services in exchange for their Medicare IDs. He could get as much as 10 years in prison.

A Miami physician pleaded guilty in a $2.5 million fraud scheme linked to narcotics violations.

An Illinois doctor admitted healthcare fraud and illegal distribution of controlled substances. Authorities said he prescribed outside the usual course of professional conduct and without legitimate medical purpose.

In a Florida civil "whistleblower" case, a doctor is to pay $750,000 to resolve allegations that he and his clinic billed Medicare for physician office visits that were not performed. The U.S. attorney characterized the case as "a troubling pattern of billing fraud." The doctor also entered into an integrity agreement with OIG.

The owner of a phony psychotherapy clinic in Michigan was jailed for eight years and must repay Medicare nearly $1 million. The case included the promise of narcotics for patients, fabricated records and $3.2 million in false billing.

A Georgia woman who ran counseling agency that served children and adolescents was sent to jail for 10 years; she was convicted of billing for bogus services, defrauding Medicaid of more than $200,000.

A Connecticut physical therapist was charged with healthcare billing fraud involving services allegedly not rendered; authorities said the woman also altered patients' records before a Medicare audit.

New Jersey pharmacists - twins - are each to serve 3 1/2 years in prison and pay fines totaling $150,000 for bilking customers, Medicaid and private insurers out of $1.5 million over 15 years.

A California pharmacy and its owner are to repay Medicare $1 million for selling foreign oncology drugs to doctors, knowing that Medicare patients would be given the drugs, which were not approved by FDA, and that the doctors would bill Medicare for the drugs.

A Californian is to pay more than $500,000 for falsely billing Medicare for wheelchairs that were not provided or not needed.

A Mississippi nurse was charged with murder, accused of turning off machines that helped keep an elderly patient alive; if convicted, she could get a could get life in prison.

A Texas doctor was jailed for nearly five years and must repay nearly $9.5 million in a fraud centered on a physician house-call company.

American Family Care is to pay $1.2 million dollars to resolve allegations of overbilling Medicare at its walk-in clinics.

A New York orthopedic surgeon was sentenced to 4.5 years in jail for lying about the nature and scope of surgeries he performed in an extensive false claims scam. He was also ordered to forfeit $5 million. The surgeon performed thousands of surgeries, often as many as 20 or more in a single day, for which he and his medical group submitted claims to insurers for more than $35 million.

A Massachusetts pain management physician was charged with healthcare fraud; he allegedly trained his employees to overbill Medicare, seeking payment for services that far exceeded the scope and duration of those provided. Authorities also asserted that the doctor often arrived to work four hours late and conducted appointments lasting less than 10 minutes, and sometimes only 2 or 3 minutes.

Orthopedic clinics in Tennessee and Virginia together must pay $1.85 million dollars to settle claims that they billed state and federal health care programs for reimported medications used to treat osteoarthritis, knowing that such reimports were not reimbursable.

Also in New York, EmblemHealth is to offer reinstatement of health insurance coverage to more than 8,000 young adults and pay about $90,000 in denied claims.

A Texas pharmacist, doctor's office manager and three drug dealers were convicted in a "pill mill" conspiracy that had run since 2010.

A Baltimore auto shop owner and his son admitted trafficking in illegal narcotics, including oxycodone, and taking part in armed burglaries; each faces up to 25 years in jail.

A Maryland physician, busted in an undercover investigation, prescribed drugs without a medical exam to patients he knew abused and/or sold them.

Three medical groups and a billing firm are to pay more than $3.3 million to resolve claims that they overbilled for nuclear stress tests.

Seven nursing home workers in New York were charged in the death of a resident and in an alleged cover-up; two other workers were facing separate charges of falsifying business records and willful violation of the health laws. Authorities said the pair neglected other residents and gave false statements to conceal the neglect. The state also filed a civil lawsuit against the nursing home, alleging an extensive pattern of neglect and corporate looting.

A suspended Illinois doctor was charged in a false claims case that included alleged sexual contact with a patient. Authorities said the physician obtained information about Medicare beneficiaries without their knowledge through his affiliation with assisted-living facilities, billed for medical services to patients he never treated and billed for routine visits at the highest levels of in-home care when he knew that the visits did not qualify for such billing.

A patient recruiter in New York pleaded guilty in a $13 million fraud scheme that included kickbacks and money laundering.

A New York physician was charged with illegally selling prescriptions for a controlled substance. Authorities said the doctor sold the painkiller prescriptions to a Medicaid recipient, who returned half of the drug to physician.

In California, a doctor, who authorities said dispensed nearly 1,600 oxycodone pills in the summer of 2012, was charged with, among other things, prescribing drugs without legitimate medical purpose.

A couple who owned a Tennessee ambulance service were sentenced to prison terms of more than six and more than five years in $1.2 million Medicaid fraud case that included aggravated identity theft and billing for services for unqualified beneficiaries.

An Ohio couple, owners of an ambulette service, were charged with defrauding Medicaid of about $750,000 after allegedly providing rides to patients who did not use or need wheelchairs, billing for transports that did not occur and charging for attendants who were not present.

Seven Ohio oncologists are to pay a total of $2.6 million after importing cancer medications that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Also in Ohio, a nurse was charged in a Medicaid fraud scheme that included the alleged theft of more than $200,000.

A man convicted in an oxycodone distribution case in Maine used the illegal proceeds from the drug diversion to finance a nightclub venture. He is serving nine years in prison.

An Indiana businessman was charged in a wheelchair-scooter fraud and identity theft case that included alleged submission of claims to Medicare/Medicaid for used equipment that was sold as new.

A former chiropractor from Louisiana was indicted on fraud and identity-theft charges involving alleged extensive false billing. Authorities said the case includes alleged billing for X-rays, tests & braces never provided.

A Wisconsin private-duty nurse who falsified patient records and billed for services not provided was placed on probation and must repay nearly $46,000.

A Kentucky addiction clinic, lab and two doctors are to pay $15.75 million dollars to settle claims that they falsely billed Medicare and Medicaid for tests that were medically unnecessary, were more expensive than those actually done or were billed in violation of the Stark Law.

Medical device maker EndoGastric Solutions is to pay up to $5.25 million to settle civil false claims allegations linked to one of its products. Authorities said the firm misled providers, leading to overbilling of federal healthcare programs; payment of kickbacks was also alleged.

The federal government has intervened in False Claims Act lawsuit against Tenet Healthcare and five hospitals, alleging that kickbacks were paid to obstetric clinics in return for referral of patients for labor and delivery at the hospitals.

A Texas doctor who submitted thousands of fraudulent bills to Medicare and Medicaid pleaded guilty and could be sentenced to as much as 20 years in prison. Authorities said the physician billed for patients who died before the dates of his claimed services and filed claims that indicated he worked more than 24 hours in a single day.

An Illinois hospice executive was charged with fraud after allegedly falsely raising patient-care levels in a multimillion-dollar healthcare scam. The levels of care exceeded what was medically necessary or what was provided, authorities said, leading to increased Medicare and Medicaid payments.

A New York doctor was sentenced to serve a year and a day in prison in a $15 million scam involving physical therapy and lesion-removal services that were not provided or were not medically necessary. As part of the scheme, Medicare beneficiaries were given a variety of spa services, including massages and facials, as well as free meals, to induce them to allow their Medicare numbers to be used in billing for medical services that were not provided or not medically necessary.

St. Joseph London Hospital in Kentucky is to pay $16.5 million to settle civil claims that it falsely billed Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary heart procedures by doctors working at the hospital. Authorities said that several doctors working at the hospital performed unneeded invasive cardiac procedures, including coronary stents, pacemakers, coronary artery bypass graft surgeries, and diagnostic catheterizations, and billed Medicare and Medicaid for them.

A Michigan home health agency owner was jailed for 10 years and must repay, with his co-defendants, more than $10 million in a scam involving false claims for skilled nursing and physical therapy services.

24 people were charged in connection with a massive New York drug ring that authorities said distributed more than 5 million oxycodone pills.

An Idaho man was convicted of failing to pay more than $62,000 in child support; full restitution was ordered.

A Washington state man was also convicted of failing to make child support payments; restitution of more than $106,000 was ordered.

From January

In one review (A-02-12-01009), OIG noted that New Jersey improperly claimed at least $6.9 million for Medicaid-supported employment services.

Another OIG study (A-05-12-00053) found that the transfer of true out-of-pocket costs between Medicare Part D plans needs more rigorous oversight.

A Delaware corporation is to pay nearly $3 million to resolve civil claims that for five years its ambulance companies falsely billed Medicare for transporting patients from one hospital to another on an emergency basis when the calls were not emergencies.

A New York company is to pay $2.5 million to settle an investigation of alleged false, inflated Medicaid billing. Authorities said that the company billed Medicaid for nonpatient business costs and more than 6,500 service hours by uncertified aides.

A New York nurse's aide admitted breaking the arm of an elderly patient; while taking the resident to her room, the aide grabbed the woman by the wrist and twisted her arm behind her head, resulting in a fracture. Sentencing in the abuse case is set for March.

A New York nurse, who claimed she cared for a seriously disabled child but was on vacation, running errands or not working at all, was jailed for two years and must repay $900,000 in a home-care scam. She falsely billed Medicaid and private insurers.

Two former executives of the Kentucky firm HealthEssentials Solutions are to pay more than $1 million to resolve false claims allegations that centered on services the company provided to patients in assisted-living facilities.

A doctor in Florida is to pay $400,000 to resolve allegations that he billed for vein injections done by an unqualified employee. Authorities allege that the physician sent text messages to his office manager instructing her to do varicose vein injections on patients when he was not in the office. The government also alleged that, when the doctor was in the office, he gave unnecessary injections and did unneeded ultrasound imaging.

A clinic owner in North Carolina admitted running a mental health services scam that defrauded Medicaid of at least $3.4 million. Authorities said t man bought luxury vehicles and jewelry with the stolen money.

A Kansas physician pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Authorities said the office staff gave drugs to patients, using blank prescription pads that the physician signed in advance.